These easy Peppermint Oreo Cookies are loaded with cookie chunks and peppermint chips, making them taste amazing! Make a batch for your family this holiday season and watch how quickly they disappear.
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A few years ago I made these chocolate mint cookies, and I have been dreaming about them recently. They seriously taste like a deep fried mint Oreo, and they are heavenly!
For the holidays, I decided to make a peppermint version. And oh my word! These peppermint cookies and cream cookies are seriously one of the best Christmas cookies you will make this year!
They are so easy to make because they start with a box cake mix. I have a serious love affair with easy cake mix cookies!
Why These Oreo Cookies Are The Best
- Easy to make with just a few ingredients.
- Stay soft for days making them the perfect cookie to ship to loved ones.
- Loaded with Oreo cookie chunks and peppermint crunch chips!
- Tastes like Christmas in a cookie!
- Get rave reviews from everyone who tries them.
Main Ingredient Notes
The dough for these peppermint crunch cookies comes together in minutes. In order to keep the cookies from spreading as they bake, you need to refrigerate the dough for at least an hour.
- Vanilla Cake Mix - The dry cake mix is the base to the cookie dough.
- Butter & Cream Cheese - Provides the moisture and fat needed for soft, puffy cookies.
- Egg - One large egg helps to bind the ingredients together.
- Extracts - A mixture of vanilla extract and peppermint extract gives the cookies a great flavor.
- Mix-Ins - Chocolate chips, Oreo cookies, and Andes peppermint crunch chips are my favorite things to add to these peppermint cake mix cookies.
FYI: If you love these peppermint Oreo cookies, you have to try these chocolate peppermint crunch cookies. The same delicious holiday cookie, but in chocolate form!
How to make Peppermint Oreo Cookies
For this holiday cookie, I decided to jazz up these cookies and cream cookies with some peppermint extract and peppermint crunch chips. I have been using these peppermint bits for years, and I'm still obsessed with them.
- Make the dough. Mix together the dry cake mix, softened butter, egg, extract, and cream cheese until a soft dough forms. FYI: These cookies seem to work best with a Pillsbury or Aldi cake mix.
- Add the mix-ins. Stir in the Oreo cookie chunks, chocolate chips, and peppermint crunch bits gently.
- Refrigerate the dough. Keep it in there for at least 60 minutes. The longer you refrigerate, the better. The dough should be able to be scooped and rolled without it sticking to your hands.
- Make dough balls. Use a cookie scoop to divide the dough into 24 scoops. Roll the dough into a ball. Place 12 on a baking sheet with a baking mat & the other 12 in the fridge.
- Bake and cool. Bake the cookies for 10-11 minutes, then cool for a few minutes on the hot pan before placing on a cooling rack. Whatever you do, do NOT over bake them! Trust me on this. Yes, the cookies will be very soft and you will think I'm crazy. But cake cookies do set up after cooling.
BruCrew Tip: The cookies may come out of the oven slightly puffy. If you want, you can tap the tops with a flat spatula after 2-3 minutes. It's not necessary, but I like to do that.
Storage Recommendations
On the Counter - Keep the cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
In the Freezer - Place cooled peppermint cookies in between layers of parchment paper in a freezer safe bag or container. Freeze for 1-2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Recipe FAQS
The Andes peppermint crunch chips tend to sell out very quickly each year. You can usually find them on Amazon year round. I also saw Andes peppermint crunch thins at Target that could be chopped into chunks.
You can also chop up Ghirardelli peppermint bars or Hershey's candy cane kisses and use those if you can't find the Andes chips.
You can, but I don't recommend it because candy canes melt down so quickly in heat. You could end up with puddles of melted candy in and around the cookies.
You can freeze the scoops of dough, so you can enjoy hot fresh cookies later. Remove the frozen dough balls and let thaw for about 15 minutes before baking. The dough will last up to 3 months in the freezer.
Or you can freeze the baked cookies after they have cooled for a few hours. Make sure to place parchment or wax paper between the cookies to keep them from sticking together. Remove and let thaw to room temperature before serving.
More Christmas Cookie Recipes
- Candy Cane Kiss Cookies
- White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
- Mint Truffle Kiss Cookies
- Peppermint Mocha Cookies
- Homemade Little Debbie Cherry Cordials
- Mint Chocolate Pudding Cookies
- Mint Meltaways recipe
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Recipe
Peppermint Oreo Cookies
These easy Peppermint Oreo Cookies are loaded with cookie chunks and peppermint chips, making them taste amazing! Make a batch for your family this holiday season and watch how quickly they disappear.
Ingredients
- 1 box white cake mix (see note below)
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup Oreo cookie chunks
- 1 cup Andes Peppermint Crunch pieces + extra
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips + extra
Instructions
- Add the dry cake mix, butter, egg, extracts, and cream cheese to a mixing bowl. Beat with a mixer until a soft dough forms.
- Stir in the cookie chunks, peppermint crunch pieces and chocolate chips gently. Refrigerate the dough for at least 60 minutes. The longer, the better. The dough should not stick to your hands when you roll it.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Scoop or roll the dough into 24 balls. Place 12 on a baking sheet and the other 12 in the fridge.
- Bake for 10-11 minutes. Do not over bake. The cookies will be very soft and look undone when you take them out.
- Let the cookies sit on the hot cookie sheet for 2-3 minutes, then gently remove them with a thin metal spatula to a piece of parchment paper on the counter.
- If the cookies are extra puffy, tap the tops with the bottom of the flat spatula. Press extra chocolate chips or peppermint pieces into the tops of the hot cookies. Let them sit until completely cool. Store in a sealed container.
Notes
- These cookies seem to work best if a Pillsbury or Aldi cake mix is used.
- Make sure the butter and cream cheese are not overly soft. If they are, your cookie dough may need to be refrigerated longer.
- If you are using a hand mixer, it will take longer for the dough to come together. Keep mixing until there are no butter or cream cheese streaks.
- Cake mix cookies do take longer to set up. These are best after cooling on the counter for a few hours.
- Can't find the Andes Peppermint Crunch pieces, use any type of chocolate peppermint candy bar and cut into small pieces.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 179Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 73mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 1gSugar: 12gProtein: 2g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.
*The post for Oreo Peppermint Crunch Cookies was first published on December 4, 2013. The post and photos were updated, and it was republished on December 4, 2019.
Alyssa
These cookies turned out amazing!!! It really does make a difference to refrigerate the dough. The first round in the oven was only refrigerated for 30min prior to cooking and they came out flat. The second round had been refrigerated overnight and they were perfectly plump and gooey when they came out (be sure to let them set for 2 min on the sheet). Everyone at the party loved them and my friend even ordered 3 dozen of them from me for his Xmas eve party!
Rose
My cookies seem way to soft. Is there anything I can do.
Jocelyn
How long did you bake them? They will seem very soft and under done when they first come out. After they cool completely, they set up some. They are a soft cookie though.
Ashley
These look really YUMMY!!! And I like all the ingredients!
pam
This is my second comment. Just made these delicious cookies right out of the oven! Make sure you don't roll the balls too small. They turn out better a little bigger. Oh well I have to go buy treat bags to put them in!!
Jocelyn
Yes, you can bake them as a 3 dozen or 2 dozen batch. I usually bake the smaller cookies a little less.
Megan
How do we go about the cookie pieces? Are we just buying oreos and crunching them up ourselves?
Jocelyn
Yes, use whatever chocolate cream cookie you like best and chop it up into bite sized pieces. I hope you like the cookies!
Alyssa
I put some Oreos in a Ziploc bag and rolled over them with a rolling pin. Worked great!
jamie lee
Hi! I love this cookie recipe! I wanted to make more but was hoping I could freeze the dough. Would you recommend that or do you think the oreos will get all wonky tasting? Thanks!
Jocelyn
I'm so glad to hear you love the cookie recipe. I'm not sure about freezing the dough because I would think the cookies would get soft and mushy after thawing the dough out. You could always bake the cookies and freeze them in single layers between paper towels. They should be fine after thawing out.
Wyanita
Is there any substitution for the cake mix?
Jocelyn
No, there is no substitution for the cake mix. A cake mix is the base of this particular recipe. You might like these cookie better because they are from scratch. https://insidebrucrewlife.com/white-chocolate-peppermint-cookies/
Jill @ RunEatSnap
OMG these look amazing! I love your photos and your site! It is so bright, cheerful and beautiful!
pam
I made these cookies and they are delicious. Everyone loved them. I was asked to make them again and I will! It's a keeper!
Jocelyn
Woo hoo! I love hearing that!!!!
Sarah Hughes
I am wondering - if I sub in candy cane (peppermint) Oreos (it's all I have), should I exclude the Peppermint extract? What do you think?
(Apologies if a similar question has already been asked. I didn't read all other comments.)
Jocelyn Brubaker
Hi, Sarah. I think the peppermint Oreos will give it a great taste, but go ahead and keep the extract because those Oreos aren't super strong peppermint flavor. I hope you enjoy them!
Robyn
Is it 8 tbsp once the butter is melted....? Because my stick is a lot more than that lol
Jocelyn Brubaker
No, you need just 8 Tablespoons, then melt it. I hope you enjoy the cookies!
Michelle
First, I LOVE your site - thank you for sharing all this delicious-ness! I have a question about the size of the dough you roll: do you think each ball is approx. the size of 1 Tbl? Or a bit bigger or smaller? Thanks!!
Michelle
Jocelyn Brubaker
Awe thank you so much for the sweet comment Michelle. You totally gave me a smile tonight 🙂 I rolled the dough into 36 even balls. I'm not quite sure how much dough is in each one, but probably about a Tablespoon. Once I roll them, I kind of go back and even them out. I hope you enjoy the cookies!!!
Sharon
Hi! I waited too long and the Andies Peppermint crunch are sold out everywhere. I was wondering about crushing up the hershey's candy cane flavored kisses or the Dove peppermint bark candies? Do you think that would work? thanks!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Hi, Sharon. Oh, no to the peppermint crunch chips being sold out. Our Walmart still has quite a few...but yes, any kind of peppermint white chocolate candy would work. Just chop it up and stir it in 🙂
Starlight
I just finished baking these. They are so delish! However in my small town I couldn't find the Andes so I substituted the crushed peppermints they sell by the chocolate chips. I just wanted to let everyone know that they melted into the cookie and made them flat. Next time I will use peppermint Oreos if I still can't find the Andes. They don't look as pretty as yours but the taste is still there.
Jocelyn Brubaker
Good to know about the crushed peppermint! I am so glad to hear that they still taste great though. Another suggestion is to use any peppermint bark candy. The Andes Peppermint Crunch chips are white chocolate with candy cane pieces in it...so any other chocolate candy or bar like that would work!
Karen
Just finished my first batch! Reading some of the followup comments you made helped me understand the recipe better. I used parchment paper instead of Silpat, and decided not to flatten them (last step) because the spatula transferred the melted chocolate to other cookies and made them look a little too sloppy. (I guess I could have wiped after each cookie, but too busy.) Awesome taste, and easy once I understood how to "break the Oreos". Thanks so much for sharing this.
Stephanie
My friend brought these into work today for a cookie contest and they were AH-MAZ-ING!!!!!!!!! I can't wait to make them myself. They missed 1st place by ONE stinkin' vote! Thanks for the recipe, great pics- love your site!
Lisa
I used your recipe for a cookie exchange this morning and won the prize for "Best Tasting Cookie"! Thanks so much!!
Judi
Can I keep the prepared cookie dough in the refrigerator overnight, and then bake them the next day?
Jocelyn Brubaker
Hi, Judi. Yes, that would be just fine to make the dough a day early. I hope you enjoy the cookies 🙂
kristen
Hello,
I hope you get this!! I cannot find the Andes Peppermint crunch anywhere!!!!!!!!!!
Would you suggest crushing up candy canes instead? Or would that change the recipe? I have never had the Andes Peppermind Crunch, so i am not sure what the big hype is all about (but i am SO WILLING to find out!)
Thanks!! 🙂
Jocelyn Brubaker
Oh, girl! Those Peppermint Crunch as so worth the hype! I found mine at Walmart in the holiday baking aisle. They are white chocolate chocolate with peppermint crunch pieces in them. If you can't find the Andes, you could do white chocolate chips and crushed peppermint candy canes. I just think the candy canes will melt into the cookie more than a chip would. Did you try on Amazon?
kristen
yum! they sound so amazing! I will check out walmart, and yes, I did look at amazon... however I can only buy it in a pack of 6 (which might be worth it!?) Oh, and these cookies are for this Saturday =P
Nothing like a little last minute cookie planning!
Thanks for getting back to me so quickly! I cant wait to make these cookies!
Have a happy day!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Hahaha! I would say the 6 pack was worth it, but I have been eating them by the handfuls. You could always do the Andes Mint chip version until you find the peppermint chips. https://insidebrucrewlife.com/chocolate-mint-cookies/ Also I have seen bags and boxes of the Andes Peppermint candy bars at Target and Meijer. You would just have to chop them up.
Alexandra
I featured this in my first Daily Dose of EyeLoveKnots Finds for December 7th. Thank you for the opportunity to share!
http://eyeloveknots.blogspot.com/2014/12/daily-dose-of-eyeloveknots-finds.html
Shannon
Lookin forward to making these for our annual cookie exchange!! How many Oreos do I use?
Jocelyn Brubaker
I didn't actually count the Oreos. I just broke a bunch up and measured out 1 cup of chunks. I want to say 8 cookies sounds about right. I hope you enjoy the cookies 🙂
Shannon
I completely looked over the ingredients and missed the 1 cup Oreo chunks! Sorry! Thanks for getting back to me 🙂 off to baking land